Zhang Jian Long’s Bronze Sculptures Capture Whimsy of Childhood

Zhang Jian Long, an artist based in China, crafts bronze sculptures and paintings that touch on the innocence, mischief, and broader whimsy of being a kid. Against natural backdrops, the mood and memories evoked by the pieces ring even truer. And although there are flourishes of cultures throughout time contained in the piece, the materials used give the works a timeless quality.

Ode to Art Gallery, a venue in Singapore, had this to say about his sculptures: “The bronze sculptures of Zhang Jian Long are playful and whimsical, each of the boys possess their own strong character that show through their facial expressions and comical positions,” the gallery says. “They remind us of the carefree, natural spirit of childhood.”

The artist has this to say about how our current era affects our mindsets, as opposed to days past: “Nowadays culture destroys the humankind natural rationality, it sneaks into a person unseen, influences him and oppresses his intuition from the day he was born,” the artist says, in a statement. “The state of mind and thoughts are subjected to civilization which is causing a lack of dauntlessness and creativity.”
The artist paints his lively, surreal child characters. See a couple below.